Railway-switch-operating apparatus.



I. M. WALDRON & J. P. COLEMAN.

RAlLwAY SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS.

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mmm W ffi W 7 w Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2' INVENTOR aqq? J. M. WALDRON & J. P. COLEMAN.

RMLWAY swlTcH OPERAHNG APPARATus. APPLICATION FILED DEC.12. 1917.

WITNESSES J. M. WALDRON 841. P. COLEMAN.

BAILWAY'SWITCH 'OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. L2. 1917.

.Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.'

INVENTOR WITN ESSES f' Q'Z- KTM f ms mmms zu-ns ca., mimo-ufam,wAsmmzmn, m c.

I. M. WALDRON & J. P. COLEMAN.

RAILWAY SWITCH OPE'RATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED DEc. 12, 19W.

1300,307. Pat-Guma Apr.15,1919.

4 sHEcTs-SHEET 4. V

WITNESSES INVENTOR WWW Wfflw ixm W cz' WM W JAMES M. WALDRON, OFENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, AND JOHN P. COLEMAN, OF EDGEWOOD BOROU'GH,PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH-OPERATING- APPARATJ'S.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed December 12, 1917. Serial No. 206,725.

To aZZ w/wmr t may 0072067111:

Be it known that we, JAMEs M. WALDRON and JOHN P. OOLEMAN, citizens ofthe United States, residing, respectively, at Englewood, in the countyof Bergen and State of New Jersey, and at Edgewood borough, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Railway-Switch- Operating Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification. i

Our invention relates to railway switch Operating apparatus. t

One feature of our nvention is the provision, in combination with aswitch the points of whose switch rails are staggered longitudinallywith relation to the track, of two separate Operating members, staggeredto correspond to the staggering of the switch points, for positively anddirectly actuating said switch rails, and a motion plate having two camslots spaced in accordance with the staggering of the rail points foractuating said Operating members.

Another feature of our invention is the provision, in combination with arailway switch and an Operating mechanism therefor comprising a motionplate, of a novel and improved circuit controller governed separately bythe two switch rails and by the motion plate for insuring that oneswitch rail or the other, depending on the position of the motion plate,shall be closed properly against its stock rail in order that theindication circuit may be closed.

Still another feature of our invention is the provision, in switchOperating apparatus, of an easily replaceable weak member of novelconstruction in the connection between the Operating mechanism and aswitch-rail, for avoiding injury to the Operating mechanism in the eventthat the switch rail is moved by a car or train trailing through theswitch, and for insuring that the Operating member shall yield in caseof such trailing and so avoid the danger of derailment due to the Wheelsmounting` the switch rail without opening it.

We will descri'be one form of apparatus embodying our invention, andwill then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view' showing arailway switch having appliedtherete one forte of Operating apparatusembodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a Vertical longitudinall sectionalviewtaken on the line Ill- II in Fig. 1 looking in the directionindicated by the arrows. Fig. 3 is a transverse Vertical sectional viewtaken on the line III-III of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicatedby the arrows. Fig.

4 is a top plan view, with cover removed, of a circuit controller Oshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. ;1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, the drum 28,however, being shown in elevation. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken onthe line VI- VI of Fig. 1 and of Fig. 4 looking in the directionindicated by the arrows, and showing the means for Operating a portionof the circuit controller O. Fig. is a sectional view taken on the lineVII- VII of Fig. 1 and of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows, and showing the means for Operating the two other parts ofthe circuit controller O. F ig 8 is a diagrammatic view showing onearrangement of circuits which may be used in connection `with thecircuit controller O shown in certain of the preceding views. w

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theseveral views.

Referring first to F ig. 1, we have here shown a railway switchcomprising the usual stock rails 1 and 1a, and the usual movable railsor switch rails 2v and 2a. The points of these switch rails arestaggered longitudinally with respect to'the track, that is, the pointof rail 2' is some distance, preferably about 18 inches, in advance ofthe point of rail 2a. As is already understood in the art, the purposeof this staggering is as follows: When 'the switch is set for theturnout from the straight track (which is the position in which it isshown in the drawing), and a car or train is moving toward the right asviewed in the drawing, the defiection of the wheels from the straighttrack is begun by switch rail 2 before the wheels reach the point ofrail 2a, so that all danger of the wheel flanges encountering the pointof rail 2a is avoided, and the Operation of cars Or trains over theswitch is smootherthan when the points of the twoV rails are directlyopposite each other.

Thelmovable rails 'of this switch are actuated by a switch o eratingmechanism which; as here shown, is located wlilly berod =far describedvwill vnow be clear.

track. This plate may lbe reciprocated byl any suitable means, thismeans as here shown belng a fiuid pressure motor device comprismg acylinder 6 and' a piston 7, the plston -being operatively connected withthe motion plate 3 by means of a jaw S on the motion plate and a button9 on the end of the piston Thermotion plate 3 is provided with two camslots 10 and 10a spaced longitudinally along the plate as shown in Fig.1, the middle portion of each slot being disposed at an angle to thedirection of movement ofV the plate, and the end portions Qf each slotbeing parallel to this direction of' moven'ient. These two cam slotscoperate with two switch rail Operating members A and B wherebyreciprocationof the motion plate causes the switch rails to be actuated.Each Operating member comprises a socket 16 attached to the switch railas nearly at the rail point as possible, a. rod 11 connected at one endwith the socket in a maner hereinafter eXplained, a member 19 connectedwith the other end of the rod and the structure and function of whichwill appear hereinafter, and two b'ars 17 and 18 attached to member 19and arranged to straddle the motion plate l 3, as shown most clearly inFig. 3. Passing through these two bars 17 and 18 is a pin 12 (see Fig.3) which carries a. roller 13, which roller is located in thecorresponding cam slot 10 or 10;L and coacts therewith to actuate theOperating members A and B.

The two Operating members A and B are connected with the two switchrails at substantially the points of these rails, and the two membersproject inwardly from said rails at substantially right angles thereto,so that these members are Staggered to correspond to the staggering ofthe points of the switch rails. The spacing of the cam slots 10'and 10aalong the motion plate 3 corre- -sponds to the staggering of theoperatmg rods 11 and 11a, so that the two rollers 13 always occupycorresponding positions in the two slots 10 and 10a.

The operation of the mechanism as thus w VVhen the motion plate 3occupies' the position, in lwhich it is shown in Fig. 1, the rollers 13occupy the left-hand ends of the slots 10 and 10a, so that the switchrails arelocked in the positions in which they are shown. When themotion plate is shifted tofthe left, no

movement of the switch rails takes place during the first portion of themovement of the plate because the enids ofl the slots are parallel tothe direction of the plate movement; vduring the .middle portion of themovement of the plate, however, the operating members A and B areshifted transversely with respect to the rails due to the i angulardisposition of the middle parts of the cam slots, so that the switchrails are then shifted to the positions io-pposite to those in whichthey are shown in Fig. 1; during the last portionrof the movement of themotion plate, no movement of the switch rails takes place, but theserails then become positively applied to the rail at substantially f the'point of the rail, in spite of the staggered relation of these points.Another valuable feature of the structure is the'provision it possessesfor minimizing the evil effect of creeping switch rails upon theadjustment of the Operating mechanism. In the present structure theactionv of the motion plate is transmitted directly to one end of eachOperating member and not, as in previouS devices employing motionplates, in` directly through the medium of a transversel slide 'loar inwhich the pin and roller are mounted. By virtue of this direct method ofoperation, materially longer Operating members may be used thanheretofore, and, consequently, a given amount of creeping of the switchrails causes a correspondingly lesser defiection of the Operatingmembers from their true paths, these paths being at right angles to therails. Excessive defiection of these members, of course, foreshortensthem in effect, and, hence reduces the pressure with which the switchrail is held closed. The greater the length of the operating members,tlierefore, the more constant may the switch rail pressure bemaintained.

Fitting overthe upper ends of the studs 14 is a cover plate 15, whichplate is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 but is removed in Fig; 1 to more clearlyshow the parts of the apparatus under the cover. The studs are reducedat their upper ends toform shoulders 14a on which this cover rests, andthe reduced portions of the studs are threadedto receive nuts 14b whichhold the cover in place. This' 17 and 18, and the cover plate isprovided with two similar transverse Channels 152315a directly above thechannels in the base plate. Each pin 12 carries two additional rollers20 and 21, located respeetively above the bar 17 and below the bar 18,which rollers are located in the Channels 15a and 4a respectively. Thediameter of these rollers is Only slightly less than the width of theChannels, so that free longitudinal movement of the Operating members Aand B is permitted, while movement of the motion plate ends of thesemembers in the direction of movement of the motion plate 3 is prevented.Obviously, upward movement of the motion plate and operating members isprevented by the engagement of the upper surfaces of rollers 20 with theseats of the channels 15a, 15a.

Inasmuch as the locking of the switch is accomplished by the Operatingmembers A and B, it is desirable to provide means for avoiding failureof the looking function in 'the event of breakage of the pin 12 orroller 13 of either of these members. For this reason, we preferablyprovide two' steel blocks 22, 22 (Figs. 1 and 3), which are attached tothe motion plate 3 by rivets 23, which blocks are so located On themotion plate that when either switch rail is against its adjacent stockrail, the inner end of tJhe corresponding Operating member A or B abutsagainst one of these blocks. In Fig. 3 the end of bar 18 vof member A isshown abutting against one of the blocks 22. In other words, these twoblocks are located adjacent 5the left-hand end of cam slot 10 and theright-hand end of cam slot 10al as viewed in Fig. 1. The looking of theswitch is accomplished, then, by these blocks as well as by the coactionof the cam slots and rollers 13, and will be accomplished by the blocksalone lin the event of shearing of pin-12.

It will be clear that if the switch rails are Vrevensed by the trailingof a car or train through the switch, serious damage will be done tosome part of the Operating apparatus unless means are provided to avoidsuch damage, or if the switch fails to open the car or train will mountthe switch rails and be derailed. For these reasons we preferablyprovide each Operating member A and B with the member 19 (see Fig. 1)which constitutes a weak link in the member. Each member 19 is in theform of a stirrup, the arms of which are attached to the bars 17 and 18,and the cross piece of which is attached to the rod 11. In the eventthat a train trails through the switch when the latter is set for theother route, the cross pieces of these members will collapse and soallow the switch to open but prevent serious damage to the Operatingapparatus. The members 19 can then be easily replaced, whereupon theswitch will again be ready for` service. Thisprovision also'rendersrmore certain the' switch rails, after being trailed through by atrain, being left in their open positions and hence more certain theintended function of a cireuit Controller actuated by the rails to opensignal circuits in event ofl this occurrence.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rods 11 of the Operating members A and B arenot rigidly attached to the sockets 16. On the contrary, each socket isprovided with a recess 16 in which a head 11a on the rod is free tomove. Each switch rail is positively moved toward and 'held against itsadjacent stock rail by the engagcment of the corresponding head 11a withthe bottom of the socket 16a, but each switch rail is drawn away fromits adjacent stock rail by the other switch rail through the medium ofthe tie members 24, 24a, etc. connecting these rails together. As willbe observed from the gap between the head of rod 11 and the base ofsocket 16 at rail 2a, the throw of the switch rails is less than thestroke of the Operating members A and B. The switch Operating membersare made adjustable for length. It follows, then, that a greater strokemay be given to the Operating members than is necessary for a newlyfitted switch, in order to meet the inereasing thirow made necessary bywear during the life of the switch. Another feature of this constructionis that it lpermits of varying the throw of the switch rails withoutnecessitating the substitution of a new motion plate 3. That is, theswitch rail throw may be varied by merely varying the length's of themembers 24:, 24a, etc.

In Fig. 1 we have shown a circuit controller C, which Controller isillustrated in detail in F igs. et, 5, 6 and 7. This circuit Controlleris mounted on a plate 25 (see Figs.

V2, 6 and 7) which is attached to the under side of base plate 4 'bybolts 25a. The controller comprises a box 26 attached to an overhangingpart of the plate 25, which box is closed by a hinged cover 27 (omittedfrom some of the views). The box contains a drum 28 of insulatingmaterial journaled to oscillate in bearings 28a mounted in the walls ofthe box, and On the drum are two pairs of contact members 29, 29a and30, 30a. C0- Operating with these contact members are a plurality ofcontact fingers designated 31, 31a, 32, 32a, 32h, 32, 33 and 33a, whichfingers are mounted in a way which will be explained hereinafter.

The drum 28 is operatively connected with the motion plate 3, to berocked thereby, in the following manner. The under surface of the motionplate 3 is provided with a cam groove 34 shaped as shown in Fig. 1, themiddle portion of this groove being parallel to the direction ofmovement of the plate and the ends being at angles toI this direction asshown. Co-acting with this cam slot is a follower 35 V(Figs. 2 and 6) inthev form of a roller which is mounted on a stud 36. This stud iscarried in one end of an arm 37 the other end of which is attached to ajournal pin 38 pivotally mounted on the base plate 4 (Figs. 1 and 2) vtwill be seen, therefore, that reciprocation of the motion plate 3 willcause oscillation of the stud 38 around the stud 38 as a center. Thismovement of stud 36 causes reciprocation of abar 39 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6)which is pivotally connected with the stud 36 and which slides in agroove 40 inl the plate 25, this groove being wide enough, as shown inFig. 2, to permit of the slight lateral motion of the bar due to thefact that the movement of stud 36 is in an arc of a circle. The end ifthe bar 39 opposite to the stud 36 is provided with teeth to form a rack39a which meshes with a segmental gear 41 attached to the contact drum28, so thatreciprocation of the bar causes oscillation of the drum aboutits journals.

The parts of the drum Operating apparatus are so proportioned thatcontact members 29, 29a, or contact members 30, 30a, are contiguous tothe free ends of contact fingers 31 to 33, according as the motion plateis in one Aextreme position-or the other, that is, accordilrg` as theswitch is locked in 'one eXtreme position or the other. In Fig. 4 thedrum is shown in an intermediate position wherein none of the contactmembers V are contiguous to the contact fingers, in order to illustrateall of the contact members in this View.

The four middle contact fingers 32, 32a, 32b and 32c are constantly inthe path of the drum-carried contact members, these fingers (see Figs. 6and 4) being attached to a block 42 of insulating material which isrigidly attached to a frame '43, which frame in turnV is fiXed to thebottom of the controller box 26.

The outer pair of contacts 31, 31a is, however, so mounted that thesecontacts may be raised out of the path of their coperating drum-carriedcontact members, and Vthe 'other outer pair of fingers 33, 33a aremounted in a similar manner. The fingers 31, 31a (see Fig. 7) aremounted on a block V44 of insulating material which is attached to aframe 45 mounted to swing about arod 46 carried in thecontroller box.This frame is biased by a spring 49 to such position that the fingersare in the path of the drum carried contact members, but may be raisedout of such position against the action of the spring by a tappet 47which is controlled as hereinafter explained. Fingers 33 and 33 arecarried by a block 44a (Fig. 4) which is pivotally mounted andControlled in the same manner as block 44.

The tappet 47 for fingers 31, 31a .and vthe corresponding tappet (notshown) for the other movable fingers, are Controlled by the two movablelswitch' rails 2 and 2a respectively, this control being through themedium of two slide-bars 48 and 50 (Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 7). Bar 48 isconnected directly with switch rail 2 by a rod 51, while bar 50 isconnected with a rod 52 which turns back on itself and is attached torail 2a. The two bars 48 and 50 reciprocate in slots 53 and 54respectively in the plate 25, and pass directly under the two tappets47. These two bars are provided with V-shaped transverse grooves 48a and506M respectively (Fig. 7 which coactwith the V-shaped ends of thecorresponding tappets 47. When a tappet .47 is in the groove of its:corresponding bar, the contact fingers controlled by such tappet are inthe path of the drum-carried contact members, but when the bar is movedso that its groove does not register with the tappet, the tappet raisesits fingers out of the' lpath of the contact members. The rods 51 and 52which connect the bars 48 and 50 with the switch rails are adjustablefor length, so that the proper relation may be secured and maintainedbetween the switch rails and the contact fingers. p

The slide bars 48 and 50, and the grooves 48 and 50a in these bars, areso arranged that the groove in bar 48 registers with the correspondingtappet 47 only when switch rail 2 is tight against its stock rail 1.Ifthe motion plate 3 is then in Vthe position for looking this rail insuch position, contact members 29 and 29a are contiguous to fingers 31and 31a, so that the contact between these members and fingers isclosed. Similarly, the groove 50.a in bar 50 registers with the tappetfor fingers 33 and 33a only when switch rail 2EL is tight against stockrail 1a, whereby if the motion plate 3 is then in corresponding lookingposition these fingers engage with contact members 30 and 30a. In otherwords, when the mot-ion plate and switch coincide in position, one pairlof contact fingers 31 or 33 engages the corresponding pair of contactmembers 2970r 30, and the other pair of fingers is raised out of thepath of its correspo'nding contact members. Then if the switch railsshould be moved while the motion plate remainsstationary,

' the fingers which engaged their contact members would be raised awayfrom suchmembers; and if the motion plate should be .moved while theswitch rails remain staand the switch rails are in the positions shownin Fg. 1, the drum 28 occupies the position in which it is shown inFigs. 6 and 7, and contact fingers 31 and 31a are down so that thesefingers are in engagement with drum-carried contact members 29 and 29.Assume now that the motion plate 3 is shifted to the left, as viewed inFig. 1 to reverse the position of the switch. During the first part ofthis movement, no motion of the switch rails takes place, because of theparallel end portions of the cam slots 10 and 10a, but during this firstportion of the movement of the motion plate (while Vthe switch is beingunlocked) the circuit controller drum 28 is shifted to its middleposition wherein none of the contact members carried thereby arecontiguous to the contact fingers. This movement of the drum is, ofcourse, due to the inclined end portion of cam groove 34, which operatesthe slide bar 39 (Fig. 6). All contacts in the circuit Controller arenow open and will remain open as long as the roller 35 occupies thestraight middle portion of the cam slot 34. The switch rails are thenshifted by the further movement of the motion plate 3, and when thisshifting is completed, that is, after the end portions of the cam slotshave reached the rollers 13, the circuit controller drum 28 is shiftedthrough the remainder of its stroke (while the switch is being locked),so that contact members 30 and 30a are contiguous to contact fingers 33and 33a. If the switch rails have completed their movement in responseto the movement of the motion plate, contact fingers 33 and 33?L will bereleased by the registry of slot 50a in slide bar 50 with the tappet 47which controls these fingers, so that these fingers will then fall intoengagement with their contact members 30 and 30a. The first part of themovement of the switch rails.l of course, raised contact fingers 31 and31 out of the path of contact members 29 and 29a, but this is immaterialso long as the mechanism operates in the manner intended, because thesecontact members were shifted out of engagement with their contactfingers before the movement of the switch rails beg'an (during theunlocking of the switch).

Referring now to Fig. S, we have here shown one arrangement of circuitswhich may be used in conjunction with 'the circuit Controller C shown inthe preceding views. KN and KR represent the usual indication magnetsincluded in an interlocking machine, which magnets govern the movementgof the lever,` which in turn governs the switch Operating mechanism. SNand SR are two signals governing traflic through the switch.

Indication magnet KN is controlled by a circuit from battery B throughcontact finger 32, contact member 29a, finger 31a, magnet KN, to commonwire O. This circuit is closed when the drum 28 is in the position shownin the drawing, provided that finger 31a is in engagement withmember293; i that is, provided that the switch rails are in' the extremeposition co-rresponding to the position of the motion plate 3. Thecircuit for the signal SN is from battery B through contact fingers 32a,contact member :29, fin-- of the collapse of 'the yielding member 19 ofthe switch openating member already referred to.

It is understood, of course, that the circuits for the indicationmagnets and for the sign'als will usually be governed by apparatus otherthan that `shown in Fig. 8, but inasmuch as such other apparatus formsno part of our present invention vit is eliminated from this view inorder to simplify the drawing.

Although we have he'rein shown and described only one form of switchOperating apparatus embodying our invention, it is understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein within the scopeof the appended claims without depanting from the spirit and scope ofour invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we 1claim is:

1. In combination, a railfway switch having switch rails the points ofwhich are staggered longitudinally with relation to the track; and aswitch operaiting mechanism complrising a motion plate movable in adirec'ti'on substantially parallel to the track and having twolongitudinally spaced ycam slots, and two operating members one lforeach switch rail and coper-ating with said two cam slots respectively. i

2. In combination, 'a railway switch having switch rails the points ofwhich are staggered longitudinally with relation to the track; and aswitch Operating mechanism comprising two members connected with saidswitch rails respectively adjaoent he points thereof and disp'osedsubstantially at right angles to the rails, a motion plate movablelongitudinally with respect to said rails and having two longitudinallydisposed cam slots coperating with said two members respectively, andmeans for reciprocating said motion plate.

3. In combination, e ra-ilwa'y switch comprislng movable switch railerlgldly connected by tying members for slmult-aneous Vmovefrnent; andmeans for moving said switch rails in reverse clirections compi'isingtwo operatng members'one for each switch mil for moving the switch -railtofwarcl the corresponcling stock rail but not for movement of the`switch rail in the otherdrecti-on.

4. In combination, a reilway switch comprising moweble switch railsrigiclly connected by tyng members for simultaneous movement; and `anOperating mechanism com-prising Operating members one for each switchmil, a socket attached to each switch mil end having a, recess openingtoward the micl'dl'e of the track, and' a headV on each operating memberoOperating with the bottom of said socket recess to positively drive theswitch mil towa'rd and hold it against the aicljiacent stock ral.

5. Railwfay switch operaxting mpparatus In testimony whereof `we affixour signn- 30 t-ures, each in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M., lVALDRON. i J'O'HN P. COLEMAN.

VVitnes/ses ae to lValdron:

FRANK HOLLINGWORTH, REUBEN A. SPANGLER.

Witnesses ns to Coleman:

A. HERMAN VVEGNER, E. P. CRUM.

G'opies of `this patent may be obtained for five eents each, ,byaddressing lthe Commissioner of Patent,

ashing'ton, D. 0.

